Short Bio:
Beth Quist is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer, who began playing piano at age 2. She was lead soprano and instrumentalist for the creation band in Cirque du Soleil’s “KA”, and currently performs solo, with Sherefe which specializes in Balkan and Middle Eastern music. She has sung & toured with Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra since 1997, and appears on his albums “Circlesongs”, “Mouth Music”, and “VOCAbuLarieS”. Beth has also composed over 50 scores for dance, theater, television, & film, including musical contributions to the Emmy nominated documentary “The Two Escobars”. Other notable musical collaborations include Roger Fisher (Heart), Geoffrey Castle, & Scott Cossu (Windham Hill).
Her early musical influences were “Batman,” “Star Trek,” and “Dr. Zhivago.” “I’m a Little Leopard Prowling Around in Sneakers” was her first musical composition at age 8.
She has a 4-octave soprano voice, and plays piano, keyboards, santour (hammered dulcimer), dumbek, daff, guitar, flute, and various other toys that she can get her hands on. Her music combines influences from the Balkans, the Middle East, and India with her Western upbringing. www.bethquist.com
Selected Discography:
“Colour of Sound” – with Kailin Yong, Jesse Manno, Kimba Arem, and Michael Stanwood, Museum of Outdoor Arts, June 2011
“All Told” – Roger Fisher (original member of Heart), scheuled release 2014-15
“VOCAbuLarieS” – Bobby McFerrin, Grammy nominated, 2010
“Sala Sala” – Sherefe, June 2010
“New Moon” – Beth Quist, self produced, May 2010
“Music for Pictures” – Trey Gunn, 2008
“Remember” – with Ishwish, Japan release 2007
“Silver” – Beth Quist, self produced, 2003
“Wander this World” – with the Guarneri Underground, 2002
“Mouth Music” – Bobby McFerrin, 2001
“Opium” – with Sherefe, 2000
“Shall We Dance” – Beth Quist, self produced, 1998
“Circlesongs” – Bobby McFerrin, 1997
“Birth” – with Melissa Michaels, Jesse Manno, Mike Vargas, and Mark McCoin, 1997
“Lucidity” – self produced, August 1995
“Sea Spirits” – Jesse Manno, 1994
“Whispering Wood” – Beth Quist, self produced, 1991
“Theater of the Vampires” – Jesse Manno, 1992
“Beth Quist” – self produced, 1988
Music for Film, Dance, Theater, Video, Audio & Multi-Media
Over 50 scores & licenses from 1987 to present including:
“The Two Escobars” – Jeff & Michael Zimbalist for ESPN’s 30 for 30, 2010, Emmy nominee
“Color of Sound” – Museum of Outdoor Arts super audio sound & visual installation 2010, with Kailin Yong, Jesse Manno, Kimba Arem, and Michael Stanwood
“Gaia Symphony” – special edition re-release, Japan 2007 Samsung electronics, music for Comdex trade show and video, November 2002
“Woman to Woman” – Concentric Media, documentary film, March 2001
“Quartzite’s Fall” – Watershed Productions, documentary film, April 2000
“My Magdelene” – New Troubadours Theater, March 2000, Boulder, CO with Jesse Manno
“Clear Light 2” – Peg Posnick and Bob Shannon, University of CO, 1998
“Ladies Doing Life” – Jerri Davis, MFA concert, University of CO, October 1997, August 1999
“The House that Jack Built” – Maureen Breeze, Cleo Parker Robinson Theater, Denver, 1995
“Who’s Temple is This Anyway?” – Judy Hoffman Bejarano, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, 1994,
“Around my Invisible Bones” – 1991 Colorado Choreographers Showcase Theme music for Sounds True’s spoken word audio
Touring & Bands
Cirque du Soleil, KA band – March 2004 to December 2006
Voicestra International Tour – with Bobby McFerrin, on and off from 1997 to present
Scott Cossu – Colorado tour August 2012 to present
Geoffrey Castle – frequent special guest, 2007 to present
The Guarneri Underground – 2000-2004
Sherefe’ – 1996-present (Specializing in Balkan and Middle Eastern music)
Beth Quist – solo shows, 1967 – present 😉
Instruments
Voice – Soprano
Piano/keyboards
Doumbek
Hammered Dulcimer
Acoustic 12-string guitar
Flute
Zils, Daff, Riqq, cajón & various percussion
Shared the Stage with:
Bobby McFerrin * Afro Celt Sound System * Kitaro * Darrol Anger * Scott Law * Jesse Manno * James Hoskins * Ty North * Tony Furtado * Nawang Ketchog * Eva Cernik * Julia Butterfly Hill * Jesse Manno * Ty Burhoe * Jonatha Brooke * Edwin McCain * Kulture Shock * Fourth Estate * Peter Rowan * Don Richmond * Chick Corea * Phillip Baily * Diane Reeves * Zap Mama * and many more
Venues:
Carnegie Hall, Boettcher Concert Hall, Town Hall NYC, Vienna State Opera House, Kirkland Performance Center, Horning’s Hideout, Boulder Theater, Chautauqua Concert Hall, many more
Dance Accompanyment:
University of CO 1985 – 2008 (on and off in recent years)
Naropa University, 1990 – 2000
Colorado Dance Festival 1995 – 2002
Glenwood Springs Dance Festival 1997 – 1999
Many private dance companies
Instructors accompanied for include: David Dorfman, Gabe Masson, Doug Varone, David Capps, Barbara Dilley, Toby Hankin, Michael Kelly Bruce, Tere O’Connor, Kim Epifano, Katie Elliott, Danelle Helander
Engineering:
Over 100 self produced audio recordings, 1983 – present
Sounds True, Boulder, CO engineering, tape duplication, graphic arts, 1988 – 1993
Eduction & Instruction:
Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program with Hummie Mann 2003-2004
Balkan Music and Dance Camp, Mendocino, CA, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2009, Dumbek, Bulgarian, Turkish,
Macedonian Rom, & Smyrneika voice, Turkish Saz, Cimbalom, Teachers include: Bob Beer, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Brenna MacCrimmon, Carol Silverman, Carol Freeman, Latif Bolat, Polly Ferber, Christos Govetas, Alex Eppler
Private piano, vocal, and doumbek instructor 1991 – present
Naropa Institute, musicianship with Bill Douglas, and music business
3 years toward a BA, piano, at University of Colorado, Boulder
Private study, piano with Doris Lehnert, Magdelene Boratgis
Zakir Hussein percussion workshop, July 1994
Private study in Indian classical Raga with C. Kabir
Quotes:
“Tori Amos ain’t got nothing on [Beth Quist]” – Michael Hedges
“Beth Quist is one of the most talented artists to ever come out of Colorado. Her ability as a multi-instrumentalist combined with her passion and emotion is truly inspirational.” – Dave Beegle, guitarist, Fourth Estate
“Quist’s voice, which tumbles from a piercing Arabic wail to a low lament, could likely carry her career alone.” – Jeff Stratton, Boulder Weekly